(Written while listening to: "Fading Light" by Aviators on YouTube)
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"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the Light.
Though wise men at their end know Dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the Light.
Wild men who caught and sang the Sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved It on Its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near Death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the Light.
And you, my Father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with "Your" fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the Light."
-Poem by Dylan Thomas(modified)
<<<>>>
Laito dreamt of an oversea cliffside.
A tall, jagged mountain chain made of black colored rock, was rising directly next to the endless looking sea, forming a massive cliffside.
The dark sun resting high above the horizon was fully obscured, forming a perfect and total eclipse.
The scenery was grim, looking completely postapocalyptic.
At the mountainside ledges, right over the ink-black like sea, Laito could see remnant, snow...- or ash covered, ruins in their final stage of decay.
It was hard to tell at this point what these ruins were before.
Another thing to notice was a huge pitch-black, fleshy tree over 3 times taller than the highest mountain peak present, piercing the sky.
It grew from a small ruin covered plain at the feet of the biggest of the mountains. It's fat, spiky, filthy roots spread across scenery like a cancerous growth, from one horizon to the other. They pulsed slightly like veins of a living being, and spread as far as the eye could see in all directions, even stabbing into the sea, as if it wanted to spread into it as well.
Maybe it did, along the waterbed, deep below.
Except the pulsing of the roots, the only movement that could be seen was an occasional dog-like looking creature here and there. Silently prowling over the area.
And the blackish, putrid clouds, silently sliding over the dark sky.
The eclipsed sun remained completely still, hung perfectly at the same place and not moving at all.
–
Suddenly the clouds and creatures started moving in reverse. At least that's what Laito thought.
In an instant, hundreds of years flew by.
Almost nothing changed. Except snow appearing and disappearing along with seasons passing in reverse.
And than in a final moment of the "rewind", which appeared faster than a blink of an eye.
An entire scenery changed.
As if some dark veil was suddenly lifted.
The clouds looked normal.
The mountain rock was bright grey instead of black.
The sun was still eclipsed though…- but it was brighter and looked livelier overall.
But the most striking change was…
The huge evil tree was completely gone alongside with its roots, as if it disappeared in an instant.
In its place on the plain was a city.
A huge, bright and lively city, full of wholesomely happy people.
On its walls one could see patrolling guardsmen dressed in silver shining armors adorned with an image that looked like a yellow sun… with a weird face drawn inside it.
And above the city, alongside the mountain ledges stood a castle.
A huge magnificent fortress built from golden and white stone.
On its ramparts, flags were fluttering proudly along with the sea breeze.
On the flags was noble's coat of arms sporting an image of a White Eagle with stretched wings, with an image of eclipsed sun behind it.
At the very top of the castle was a high cathedral tower, which loomed over a city, while seemingly piercing the skies..
And on its roof was a source of light.
But not just any source.
It was bright enough that it illuminated the entire region, like it tried to substitute for the eclipsed sun.
And indeed it did.
As under its light even the ground outside the city walls was covered in greenery and used for farming, instead of being doomed to wither under the lack of sunlight.
—
Time stopped, and then resumed its usual pace.
–
Laito blinked.
He was lying on his back somewhere almost completely dark.
With only small flickering orange light illuminating the ceiling above him.
He couldn't see the source of that light though as it was behind a small…- wall?
'Where I am?' He wondered and turned his head slightly to look around, only to get a face to face with a…-
–
Skull. A human skull.
Pale white, frozen in silent mocking grin.
'Oh great, that's amazing, I guess I'm in the coffin…- or a tomb.' He thought with a surprising calm.
'Now what?' He mocked himself internally.
[Aspirant!~ Welcome to the Nightmare Spell~. Prepare for your First T̷̪̞͝r̷̫̽í̸̠̮͠a̶͖̿̇l̵̡̯͘…~]
–
–
–
'Simply eclectic I must say.'
'The number of red flags I experienced within the past few moments was simply delightful, I am kinda overwhelmed, truth to be told.'
'And I guess…-'
'I'm fucked. Thoroughly.'
'The Nightmare Spell…- as in the "Shadow Slave" novel…- Basically a death sentence.'
'I have no words to describe how "delightful" I feel right now.'
–
–
–
'And what's that noise?'
"
He heard a high pitched giggle. He could hear it ever since he "opened his eyes" in here.
He carefully sat down and looked over the wall of the stone coffin he was currently in.
There, he saw a girl, looking around eleven years old, wiggling on the floor and laughing.
She held a small, old lantern that appeared to be the source of light mentioned earlier.
Laito raised one eyebrow looking sceptically at her.
"What's so funny?" he asked poignantly.
"
–
"
"Honestly? I have no idea. For a fact I actually have no idea who you are. Or even who I am. Or where exactly we are." He straight up admitted, while also slightly bullshitting.
Hearing that the girl froze for a second, but then she resumed her attitude.
"
–
–
"I'm dead serious though…- and not just because I'm sitting inside a damn coffin." He climbed out of it and stood up.
At this claim a slight worry appeared on her face.
"Come on…- cut the crap." She tried once more.
"I still have no idea what's going on."
–
A moment of silence passed during which the girl was getting paler, looking more worried with each second.
"Really?"
"Yea." Laito confirmed, while dusting himself off as best as he could.
–
–
"Damn it. The master is going to kill us." She concluded.
<<<>>>
[5 years left until MHA plot beginning]
[Chapter End] The story is not over yet
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Author notes:
So here we are, the SHADOW SLAVE. Huh? You didn't expect that did ya? ;)